Japan is a feudal military dictatorship ruling over the entirety of Honshu, Kyushu, Shimazu, and the Ryukyu Islands. They have holdings in Taiwan and claim Hokkaido to be under their sphere of influence. Moreover, they own a series of islands in the Pacific to the East. Japan is ruled by a Shogun - an emperor with a limited amount of influence over his daimyo. While he has limited power, he is seen as the absolute authority in Japanese lands and both a national and spiritual leader.

The economy of Japan relies mostly on inter-Daimyo trade, with much revenue from non-Japanese entities entering the Sea of Japan. It is a member of the Chinese tributary system and is an ally of the Ming Dynasty. Japan is home to numerous resources, namely rice, wood, and metal.

Contents

History

Kakusareta sensō era (1443 - )

The Kakusareta sensō era, or Hidden Wars in Japanese, was a series of behind-the-scenes struggles in early Ashikaga history. Following a failed invasion of Korea by ineffective rulers early on, Japan was wracked with corruption and, in the cases of the southern daimyo such as Ouchi and Yamana, disloyalty to the Empire. In 1443, Shogun Ashikaga Yoshikage assumed the throne. Ashikaga Yoshikage was well-versed in the art of ninjutsu, having been a Shinobi during Ashikaga Yoshimochi's rule. Yoshikage began sending other shinobi into southern Honshu, Kyushu, and Shimazu. These shinobi operated for over a decade in these lands, infiltrating the administrations of these lands.

In 1454, Ouchi led a revolt against Ashikaga Yoshikage. While the shogun sent samurai warriors to take out these armies, he largely relied on the covert operations of his shinobi. In March, the shinobi received orders to assassinate the disloyal Daimyo and to replace them with someone loyal to the shogun. While Ashikaga Yoshikage expected some success, he did not anticipate each and every ninja to be successful in their mission and to remain hidden. The Kuromatsu War (Black Pine War) ended the year it began, with minimal casualties on both sides. It seemed as if the disloyal daimyo had committed seppukku in dishonor.

Following the Kuromatsu War, Japan purchased the Ryukyu Islands from Ming China, in addition to selling their settlement in Manchuria to Korea in exchange for Korean land in Hokkaido.

Foreign Relations

Any and all official diplomacy from 1443 onward is listed below. If a nation does not appear on this list, Japan is either ambivalent or unaware of its existence.

Allies

Ming China: ALLIANCE RENEWED AS OF 1455 The Japanese-Chinese relations have always been an interesting one. While they saw extensive growth in the early days of the Ashikaga Shogunate, they saw deterioration under the rule of Ashikaga Yoshimochi, though this was largely due to the administration of the Ming at the time as well. Ashikaga Yoshikage has strengthened Sino-Japanese relations such that Japan is seen as an ally of the Ming, and the Ming are seen as allies of Japan. The nations have limited agreements on settlement rights in Taiwan and exclusive shipping privileges between each other.

Good Terms

Majapahit: In 1454, Majapahit and Japan opened trading agreements. Japan wishes to see where this trade takes the two nations.

Bad Terms

Korea: Korean/Japanese relations have never been particularly warm, though they were soured even more when Japan invaded Korea in the 1420s under the irresponsible rule of Ashikaga Yoshimochi. While Japan has attempted to soothe relations with Korea, the economic and territorial war waged on Japan by Korea has evolved into a cold war, with Japanese and Korean ships frequently ambushing each other and returning trespassers to their respective shores, sometimes without equipment. Japan has since stopped patrolling the Sea of Japan for pirate activity, allowing pirates to raid Korea unmolested. As of 1455, the two have reopened limited communications, but there is still no end in sight for Korea and Japan's hostility.